A proposal of Marriage is book 4 in The Brazen Brides series by Cheryl Bolen. This was an engaging story. Rebecca and John enter a marriage of convenience, she's after financial independence and freedom and he wants a mother to his seven children. Little do they expect to build on their marriage and find love.

What an amusing, charming, unorthodox story. I enjoyed it a lot. There is even humor right from the start. Miss Peabody (Rebecca) is the one that sets that humor going when she meets with Lord Aynsley (John). It's not the only time that humor will show up in the story and I enjoyed that.
Unorthodox should have been Rebecca's middle name. Unorthodox but she's not cruel or malicious. She is a very organized woman who is also loving and caring. I liked that part of her story includes the fact that eyeglasses were a very necessary thing to her daily life. She does fit in with her new household even if she's not sure about that at first. The other members of her new family do add a lot of flavor to the story. They also add some challenges as well. It's good that Rebecca thrives on challenges because she has one in particular that the reader could see coming a mile away. Of course since Rebecca isn't a dim-wit she could too.
John had so much more to him that what the outside world saw. He's a man who yearns for love and a woman who is his intellectual and political free thinking equal. That's quite a wish list but he begins to see that Rebecca just might fit that bill.
The story has a welcome H.E.A. for our main characters as well as another couple. With a good Epilogue as well.

"I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

I did enjoy this book, i thought it was well written and carefully crafted. I will say however that it wasn't to my taste for one reason. I truly couldn't get into the couple given the great distance in their ages a 20 year old girl and a 34 year old man just felt a little off for me. It probably would have felt different if their hadn't been children. Of his the same age as the leading lady, but I really couldn't get passed that point and truly enjoy the story. Plus how uncaring his daughter was really killed her character for me. How she at 18 could take her own cars above a clearly imparted issue for society and her father just to spite her new step mother made her not just bratty and spoiled but reprehensible in my eyes. I see this authors immeasurable talent, but was woefully not pleased with this book because of those two major character issues.

3 stars

*contains spoilers*
This book was given to me as arc from netgalley in return for a honest review. These are my true thoughts and opinions. They're mine and mine alone.

Trope:marriage of inconvenience/age different/ different stations in life

I enjoyed this book and It was a short fun read! I loved the John and Rebecca, and their story. Good hearted characters with great personalities.

Rebecca is a smart girl and is well matured beyond her years. She's not your typical heroine. She bookish, wears glasses, craves for freedom, independence, and is a American living in london. She's interested in politics and is not interested in peoples titles or ranks in life. She is also disgusted with men her age. She finds them repulsive and could not imagine the marriage bed.

Therefore she decides to propose marriage to John because he is much older. To be exact He is 23 years her senior. She thinks that because he's much older he wouldn't be interested in carnal activities. Besides that he already had 7 children and she would enter into a marriage with a already made family.

He politely turns her offer down thinking she is too young, Until discovering the identity of one of his favorite authors and It was her.

From there on out he couldn't get his mind off her. He kept thinking about of her and decides to go meet her brother in law. He asked questions about her, and gets the right response. He decides he'll be taking up her offer, and theh he asks her for her hand in marriage. She accepts and they are married within a few days.

They agree they would not share a bed until they get to know eachother more. As the weeks past they build a wonderful strong relationship. Sadly his daughter who is two years younger than her despises her with a passion. She tries to break up her father and Rebecca by betraying her father. Making it look like Rebecca was the one who committed the crime.

Through the hurt and mistrust he realizes he cannot hate her. He sees how deeply she loves his children and how affectionate she is towards them. They fight to keep their marriage and gets through the horrible events. Then finally his daughter confesses to the lies.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was well thought and written out. Honestly I would've given this book a higher rating but I felt it was on the lower spectrum for steam. There were kisses here and there. Out of those few kisses 2 to 3 were more intimate with open mouths/tongue, and in the 80th percentile of the book there was finally a love scene but sadly it more of a fade to black scenario. Even without the true intimacy that a couple much in love would share there were feels here and there, and good vibes.

A Proposal of Marriage by Cheryl Bolen is my first book by the author.

Very cute story about Rebecca Peabody who is only 20 years old and wants to marry someone twice her age as she thinks he’d wouldn’t want to share her bedchamber.

Lord John Aynsley is 43 years old and widowed with 7 children. His marriage to the mother of his children was not a love match, but they both adored their children. Having not thought about marriage since his attempt to find a young wife to take care of his children after their mother died, Lord Aynsley’s three younger boys seem to scare away every Governess he’s hired to take care of them.

When Ms. Peabody proposes marriage to him, because already having children and being of advanced age and probably not wanting to share his wife’s bedchamber as much, he’s intrigued by her boldness and comes to the conclusion that he’s found out her little political secret.

I enjoyed this book and the storyline very much.
I will have to check out other books by Cheryl Bolen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.